


Neko

by LethanWolf



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Canon Set, Cat, Crack, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Happy Birthday Fic, HitsuMatsu - Freeform, Humor, Kitten, Seireitei Setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24958777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LethanWolf/pseuds/LethanWolf
Summary: ‘I am not mad, Rangiku, but we need to get to work,’ he sighed and ran a hand back through his hair again, a habit he’d picked up from her when he was stressed or anxious. The Lieutenant did not move from her spot on the couch, she continued to look at him, her wide baby blue eyes full of guilt that Toshiro faltered. ‘What is it?’ he asked.‘Now…’ Rangiku was playing with the edge of one of his cushions, well, cushions she’d bought for him with his money. ‘Don’t be mad.’‘Don’t give me reason to be,’ it was Toshiro’s usual retort when Rangiku told him not to be mad. She shuffled her position on the couch and this time she brought her bottom lip out in a pout. Toshiro knew his girlfriend, he knew that was now trying to break down his defences with her pathetic facial expressions, especially when she wasn’t ever sorry to begin with.
Relationships: Hitsugaya Toushirou/Matsumoto Rangiku
Comments: 9
Kudos: 24





	Neko

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Geishaaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geishaaa/gifts).



> This fic is a very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY fic to the wonderful Geishaaa :D 
> 
> My friend, my writing buddy and the person who keeps me grounded! You're so special to me bub, and I love you so much! Here is some crack fluff with your favourite prompts just for you! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The Seireitei’s alarm rung loud in his ear along with the steady thrum of blood that pounded against his eardrums. The tenth division gates could now be seen in the distance but Toshiro did not slow his pace as he continued leaping from rooftop to rooftop at the fastest speed his body could manage.

Below him were shouts and cries, nervous soldiers ordering each other around, as the ryoku alarm rung loud for all to hear. His mind was whirring with possibilities, it could be another attack. The Quincy war may have been over but they had suffered heavy losses and if any enemy was going to attack them, now would be the strategic moment to do so. Toshiro touched down, finally beyond the gates of the tenth and began to give his soldiers direction. Their faces relaxed at once seeing that their Captain had arrived back from the Captain’s meeting, and followed his orders without hesitation.

Toshiro would never admit it to anyone, but he was nervous and scared. He now had too much to lose and he hated the thought that it could all be taken away from him. Captain Ukitake had already passed away in the previous war, the older male was like an uncle to Toshiro and he’d almost lost so many friends.

Following the war, however, his relationship with Rangiku had… evolved.

Working with her through it, achieving his mature bankai… It had made the two of them realise that that their uncharacteristically close companionship could become something more. Toshiro had found himself able to admit his feelings, since he’d failed to tell Ukitake just what the man had meant to him and now he’d never have that chance.

Gathering his courage, Toshiro had finally asked Rangiku out and she’d accepted before he’d even finished asking her. Though their relationship wasn’t sexual, the two of them had agreed to leave that particular _adventure_ until his physical appearance was much older, their bond for each other had grown tremendously during the aftermath of the Quincy war.

It was for Rangiku, that Toshiro now worried.

His legs carried him as quickly as possible in the direction of the office where he hoped to find her curled up sound asleep on the couch. The soldiers around him became a blur of black and white and he cut corners by jumping up onto the walls of a few crumbled buildings before springing down onto the wood just outside the office door. The young Captain slid the shoji door back as fast as the ancient wood would move and threw himself in.

‘Lieutenant?’ he asked, his voice high with concern. The space lay dormant, no sign of Rangiku present, and the faint lingering scent of her perfume told him that she’d not been here in quite some time. Trying to swallow back his panic, Toshiro turned and glanced out the office, wondering if his Lieutenant was actually doing her job? Even that thought seemed the spark further fear into him, Rangiku only ever worked when it was a real emergency.

‘What do we know?’ Toshiro asked one of his seated officers as soon as he left the office.

‘The ryoka is yet to be found, Captain,’ she said giving a low bow to him, ‘we are still unsure how many there are or where they are.’

Toshiro ran a hand through his snowy locks in exasperation, he prayed that this ryoka meant them no harm and this scenario played out more like the time Ichigo had come… goodness knows they could use another ally as powerful as him.

‘And the Lieutenant?’ he asked.

‘I haven’t seen her, Sir,’ she said, raising her brows at his concerned face. There were rumours flying around about them now that Rangiku had practically moved into his living quarters. She’d complained that they were always so much larger than hers and that he didn’t need all that space because he didn’t shop as much as she did. The moment that they realised they were compatible, she’d moved right in. Toshiro didn’t mind, he would never admit it, but he loved having her around. He liked having a warm body to share his bed with and her chatter while he cooked helped him focus better than silence. He chalked that down to the fact that he was so used to focusing on paperwork while she talked at him in the office.

Toshiro didn’t care for the whisperings, though he was sure that Rangiku was confirming everyone’s suspicions behind his back his back with gossip. The seated member was dismissed with some instructions and Toshiro began to make his way frantically down the streets of the Seireitei. He began to reach out with his spiritual pressure to see if he could get a lock onto Rangiku’s but for some reason the woman was supressing hers.

Toshiro sighed and stopped running, he focused and at once, locked onto her soul ribbon which was an off shade of red much closer to pink. The ribbon seemed to be leading to their living quarters and he jumped up onto the nearest roof in order to make it there as quickly as possible. It was likely that she’d maybe just fell asleep on the couch at their home instead of the couch at their office. Toshiro didn’t care, as long as she was safe.

The familiar building came into view and Toshiro felt himself relax, now that he was closer to Rangiku, he could feel her supressed spiritual pressure inside the home. No matter how much she’d tried, he’d always be able to find her.

‘Rangiku,’ Toshiro threw the door open, his tone sounding annoyed by her lack of work ethic during a critical time, but really it was just deep with relief that she was safe.

‘Captain,’ Rangiku sat bolt upright on the couch and Toshiro frowned. She only called him “Captain” in front of their squad or when she thought she was in trouble.

‘I am not mad, Rangiku, but we need to get to work,’ he sighed and ran a hand back through his hair again, a habit he’d picked up from her when he was stressed or anxious. The Lieutenant did not move from her spot on the couch, she continued to look at him, her wide baby blue eyes full of guilt that Toshiro faltered. ‘What is it?’ he asked.

‘Now…’ Rangiku was playing with the edge of one of his cushions, well, cushions she’d bought _for_ him with _his_ money. ‘Don’t be mad.’

‘Don’t give me reason to be,’ it was Toshiro’s usual retort when Rangiku told him not to be mad. She shuffled her position on the couch and this time she brought her bottom lip out in a pout. Toshiro knew his girlfriend, he knew that was now trying to break down his defences with her pathetic facial expressions, especially when she wasn’t ever sorry to begin with.

‘I may have… done something,’ Rangiku started, ‘something I shouldn’t have.’

‘Rangiku,’ Toshiro tried to keep the exasperation from his voice but failed, ‘we really don’t have time for this right now. Don’t you hear the ryoka alarm sounding? Someone who isn’t supposed to be here, has infiltrated the Seireitei and we need to go right now.’

It was a command but it lacked the real bite that his commands would have had before they’d started dating. Rangiku choose to ignore it, her eyes darting around the room that she’d added her girlish flare too since moving in. To be fair, Toshiro had enjoyed the fresh flowers and the pictures of them and their friends that now hung around the space, it felt much more lived in than it had when he’d lived alone. Toshiro followed her eyes and noticed that one of their picture frames had a large crack down it, and next to it the expensive vase which had been vacant and ready for new flowers, was gone. Blinking his eyes, Toshiro glanced around the room and saw a number of other changes.

When his gaze swept back across to make eye contact with Rangiku, he jumped about a foot in the air and drew his zanpakuto. Two golden eyes were staring at him from over the cushion of the couch, then the tiny creature dug it’s claws into the fabric and hoisted itself up for a better look at him. Toshiro stared, dumbstruck. The tiny kitten had a golden tabby coat, large gold eyes that blended into its head, and a white sock on the front left paw.

‘Wha-’ Toshiro couldn’t find his words, ‘what did… what- Rangiku please don’t tell me you set off the ryoka alarm for a cat!’ he snapped the last sentence and watched his girlfriend flinch. The kitten gave an angry glare before throwing itself back down onto Rangiku’s lap. His girlfriend cooed at it and tried to calm it down, while Toshiro worked on his temper and did his best not to freeze the two of them where they sat.

‘He didn’t mean to shout,’ Rangiku said.

‘Yes I bloody did,’ Toshiro stomped into the room and pointed at the cat, ‘it has to go!’

‘No,’ Rangiku scooped the kitten up and hugged it against her, as if trying to shield it inside her uniform. Toshiro knew how she felt about cats, given that her zanpakuto was also feline.

‘Matsumoto,’ he said her last name and watched her pout again, ‘we’re both in a lot of trouble when the Head Captain finds out what raised the alarm. How could you be so stupid?’

Her eyes flashed and Toshiro sighed. Rangiku hated when anyone called her stupid because of the whole dumb blonde trope. Though Toshiro was convinced in this moment she really did deserve the adjective.

‘Head Captain Kyoraku will love him,’ Rangiku said, using a finger to stroke under the little ginger kittens chin. At once the little kitten closed his eyes and began to purr into her touch. Toshiro glared at it, he was absolutely not going to feel jealous over a fucking cat.

‘I’ll go and tell them, so everyone can stop panicking and fearing for their lives,’ Toshiro grumbled.

‘What will you say?’ Rangiku asked.

‘That my Lieutenant is an idiot,’ he retorted.

\---

Toshiro touched down outside the Head Captains office and was admitted at once. It was sometimes convenient to hold the rank he did and never be questioned as to his presence. The chamber opened up, tall beams held the roof of the building in place and Captain Kyoraku was in deep discussion with his Lieutenant, Nanao.

‘Head Captain,’ Toshiro said with a low bow, ‘you may call off the alarm. I have… dealt with the culprit.’

He had the older man’s attention at once, even Lieutenant Ise bore her eyes into him. ‘Toshiro,’ Kyoraku boomed at once, ‘what a surprise! Is this why we are still unable to find the ryoka?’

‘Yes,’ Toshiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair again as he straightened up, ‘forgive me, it’s entirely my fault.’

‘Your fault?’ the Head Captain asked, his eyebrows rising as he considered the young Captain before him.

‘Yes, I- the last trip to the world of the living,’ Toshiro sighed, ‘when Lieutenant Matsumoto and I went to catch up with the substitute, there was a stowaway in our bag that apparently didn’t make itself known when we arrived back.’

‘A stowaway? Was it Kon?’ Captain Kyoraku asked and Toshiro decided it wasn’t worth asking how the Head Captain knew who Kon was.

‘No, it was, it was a cat actually,’ Toshiro sighed but Nanao’s eyes instantly flickered back to her Captains who seemed to be considering Toshiro.

‘A cat?’ he clarified.

‘A cat,’ Toshiro nodded.

There was a beats silence in the room, the two men looking at each other. Kyoraku’s expression was full of shock, as Toshiro’s had been when he’d first seen the little bugger and Toshiro was hoping his expression conveyed all the apologies he felt building on his tongue. Then the Head Captain threw back his head and laughed.

‘A cat evaded the great Captain Hitsugaya,’ the older man teased as he laughed, ‘alright well then,’ he summoned one of the guards stationed around the room. Toshiro noticed with a pang of annoyance that the guard also seemed to find the situation equally as amusing as he stepped forward to receive his orders with a smile on his face.

‘Call off the alarm at once,’ Head Captain instructed and the soldier bowed before making his way quickly from the chamber.

‘Well what a relief,’ Nanao sighed, ‘we’d thought it was something more serious.’

‘So did I,’ Toshiro replied bitterly and ran his hand down his face in exhasperation.

‘We will let you go and deal with the ryoka, in the best way you see fit, Captain,’ Kyoraku said with a smirk. Toshiro turned on his heel and was almost at the door when he heard the older man’s next words, ‘that girlfriend of yours must really be a handful.’

Toshiro stumbled on his way out of the office space, but knew better than to turn around and address it, because his bright red face would give him away and any retort had already been lost on his tongue.

By the time Toshiro had arrived back at their living quarters, he wasn’t surprised to see Soi Fon already in their space. Stealing himself and preparing for a grilling that could only come from the Captain of the Stealth force, Toshiro was surprised to find Soi Fon sitting crossed legged on the floor, pulling a bit of string along it and laughing with Rangiku while the kitten pounced.

‘Not you too,’ Toshiro groaned, he put his zanpakuto down beside Rangiku’s before walking into the main living chamber.

‘What did the Head Captain say?’ Rangiku asked instantly, sitting up so quickly she almost popped out of her uniform… again.

‘Apparently he found it _amusing_ ,’ Toshiro said, the annoyance evident in his voice. ‘And told me to deal with it the best way I see fit.’

Rangiku’s eyes narrowed at him and Toshiro glared at her. His girlfriend could be incredibly fiery and fiercely loyal, it was some of the many traits that had Toshiro falling head over heels for her in the first place. In her eyes, he could see the battle he was about to have and knew it had come to a decision. Either he’d let her keep the cat and find his girlfriend being incredibly affectionate over the next few weeks or he’d deny her and feel her wrath.

To buy more time for himself, he glanced back down at where the kitten was now pouncing and grabbing the string up into its tiny little devil mouth. Toshiro took a deep breath, the kitten tried to pull its paw free where its claw was stuck in the string and Soi Fon leaned over and helped the little thing.

‘I’m so glad it was you who found us,’ Rangiku said to Soi Fon. She seemed to sense Toshiro’s inner turmoil and understood he needed time.

‘If it had been anyone else,’ Soi Fon said with a smirk, ‘they’d have killed it by now.’

‘I know, but you love cats too don’t you?’ Rangiku said with a giggle, Toshiro was sure there was something more loaded in her statement, especially given that Soi Fon’s cheeks dusted pink at her words. Whatever the two were talking about, Toshiro had no idea. He was trying to picture his life with a cat.

He didn’t know much about them, except that they liked to knock things over and scratch furniture. The kitten looked up at him, as if sensing his inner conflict. Two large golden, buttery eyes boring into his own. It was strange, Toshiro was sure he’d never seen a cat with eyes that particular shade before. He had seen cats with yellow eyes of course, Yoruichi had yellow eyes and they stuck out against her black fur, but these eyes were almost orange. They were piercing.

Toshiro tilted his head at the diminutive creature and at once the kitten tilted his own. Toshiro bit back a smile, tilting his head the other way and the kitten copied him. Unable to help himself, he tilted his head to the left again, and once more the kitten copied his movements.

‘See? He’s not so bad,’ Rangiku encouraged softly.

‘If he copies me, does this mean he’ll do paperwork too?’ Toshiro asked.

‘He’s a baby,’ Rangiku scowled and the kitten turned at once to the sound of her voice.

‘I can go and tell them that there’s no threat here,’ Soi Fon said, though she seemed unwilling to leave.

‘Can we count on you to cat sit if we need to go to the world of the living again?’ Rangiku asked. Toshiro watched as Soi Fon’s face beamed, the smile looking almost alien across the usually stoic woman’s features. 

‘Of course, can I come and see him again in a few days?’ Soi Fon asked reaching out and stroking his tiny ear.

‘Can she?’ Rangiku asked turning to Toshiro. He hated when she used her puppy dog eyes on him, because he always caved to those eyes. Large baby blue eyes, that were Toshiro’s whole world, bore into his soul and he caved.

‘Fine,’ he grunted, ‘it can stay but if it knocks anything else over, it goes.’ Toshiro indicated the broken photo frame with his head and Rangiku squealed. She bounded over to him and caught him in a warm embrace, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him against her. Thankfully Toshiro was now tall enough that he wasn’t engulfed into the hallow between her breasts, so was able to breathe.

He almost missed it.

‘You can name him!’ Rangiku said happily and Toshiro pulled back.

Soi Fon already knew about their relationship because she the Captain of the stealth force and nothing escaped her. Toshiro was pleased that Rangiku had made the hug fleeting, though Soi Fon knew of their relationship, Toshiro still wasn’t keen on displaying affection in front of others.

‘Neko,’ Toshiro said at once and Rangiku glared at him.

‘No…’ she huffed, ‘we can’t name him “Cat.”’

Toshiro shrugged, he actually thought it was pretty funny.

From that moment on, Neko became another soul that resided under his roof and Toshiro had to deal with two souls eating his food and demanding his attention.

\---

One week into living with Neko and Rangiku, Toshiro realised that he was no longer Rangiku’s primary focus. As a young boy, this presented issues. He was too proud to admit that he loved morning cuddles, loved waking up just holding Rangiku in his arms or vice versa. But at six am every morning, Neko would meow outside the door, as loud as possible until they got up to feed him. Toshiro had tried to encourage Rangiku to ignore it, especially when she was being very attentive to Toshiro’s neck. This particular morning her lips were leaving blazing hot trails against his skin and even though it wouldn’t end in anything more than innocent cuddles, he was still sad to see the contact go.

‘I’ll just be a few minutes,’ Rangiku giggled into his heated skin. Toshiro groaned, head flopping back against the pillow as his girlfriend slipped out of the bed and covered herself with a robe before opening the door. ‘Good morning, Cutie,’ he heard her coo out in the hallway. Neko continued to meow all the way down stairs and into the kitchen. Given that cat food was not sold in the Seireitei, they’d had to make their own special mix of food for the kitten. It consisted of a lot of fish and chicken, and various other things they could source.

Toshiro huffed and rolled over in their bed. It was a Saturday morning and he wouldn’t need to be in the office for another few hours. No one expected him until after 10am on a Saturday.

After a period of time Rangiku’s weight shifted on the side of the bed and a warm arm circled around him. She pressed herself up against his back and Toshiro closed his eyes. He’d never admitted to her how much he loved being touched, it was something he didn’t need to vocalise. Rangiku just seemed to know it about him.

Her lips were on his shoulder this time. She left a trail of tender kisses along it up and his neck, stopping to nibble on his earlobe for a while. Toshiro relished the feeling.

‘Oh, hello,’ Rangiku laughed and Toshiro blinked, embarrassment pulling him from his stupor.

‘What?’ he asked.

The meow gave it away instantly. Toshiro turned in the bed to see Neko sitting on top of the covers of Rangiku’s hip looking at them curiously.

‘You didn’t close the door?’ Toshiro sighed, the relief evident in his voice. He’d thought Rangiku had been teasing him for… _well_ … he thought she’d been teasing him.

‘I forgot,’ she giggled and reached out to stroke the kitten, ‘and he gets lonely too.’

Toshiro turned around and grumbled into his pillow. He was trying so hard not to be jealous of a fucking cat but it was proving incredibly difficult. He could hear Rangiku cooing away to the small creature, turning away from him in the sheets and leaving him uncomfortably cold. Toshiro didn’t realise how much he’d come to rely on her heat, until the day he was dumped for a cat.

‘What the-’ Toshiro spluttered, feeling small paws padding through his hair. He tried to sit up and the kitten must have been attempting to walk over his pillow, his movement dislodged the kitten and with a squeak of indignation, Neko slipped underneath the sheets of the bed.

‘Aww, he just wanted to get to know you,’ Rangiku said, reaching under to help the tiny cat back up into her arms while Toshiro turned around to face them.

‘I could have frozen him,’ Toshiro narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend as she hugged the cat close, Neko nuzzling into her nightgown.

Toshiro was definitely _not_ jealous of a cat.

‘No you wouldn’t, you have more self-control than that,’ Rangiku smirked at him and Toshiro was sure there was double meaning to her words that he didn’t understand. The result had him scowling instead as she giggled.

‘He’s really sweet and affectionate when you get to know him,’ Rangiku purred and Toshiro sighed. It was time to get up.

‘I don’t want to get to know him in my bed, Rangiku,’ Toshiro huffed. He pushed back the covers, now fully awake and slipped out of the sheets.

‘I was talking about _you_ ,’ Rangiku laughed and Toshiro felt his cheeks heat. He ducked out of the room before he reacted.

\---

It was now impossible to get any work done. Rangiku had started to sneak Neko into their office space given that the kitten had an affiliation for clawing the furniture and knocking things over in their absence. Between the two of them, at the office, the kitten was monitored.

Rangiku never did any paperwork anyway, so it worked out with babysitting duties. She’d sit on the floor of the office playing with Neko until he was tired enough to nap and she’d nap right beside him. It was ridiculous how much she’d bonded with the kitten and it concerned Toshiro.

It concerned him.

There was a reason why no animals existed in the Soul Society. Their souls weren’t recycled the way human souls were. When a pet passed away, they’d instantly be reborn and so didn’t require the level of duty or care the complex human souls required. There were far less things that could go wrong with their process. No hollow was ever born from a dog or cat soul.

There was that age old cliché of “All dogs go to heaven” and it wasn’t entirely incorrect, but as heaven didn’t exist the closest thing that they had was being reborn. Toshiro shuffled his paperwork, his eyes glancing toward the sleeping form of his girlfriend. She looked beautiful when she slept. There had been a point in his life where watching her sleep was the only time he felt truly comfortable looking at her. She’d admitted to him later, that she’d often pretend to be asleep just to give him that chance.

They were sickeningly cute it seemed.

Rangiku meant the world to him, and it was this fact that led Toshiro to rummaging in his drawer and extracting an ancient looking book. Bound in leather, with slanted gold writing down its spine, it reflected the books that bound law in the Seireitei. Toshiro opened at the spot he’d marked and continued to read. The writing was in ancient text, old Japanese that he often struggled to understand, but the meaning was clear enough.

What would happen to a non-human soul that spent too much time in the Soul Society. It wasn’t good. The more he read, the more he felt his heart wither. Neko was young, so he hadn’t started to exhibit the side effects that the ancient book described. It was only a matter of time and he’d become lethargic, succumbing to a slow and sleepy death as the spiritual pressure around them would begin to suffocate his living form.

Toshiro could feel his heart break for Rangiku. There was nothing Rangiku wanted more in this world than to be a mother, and female souls were often unfertile, it pained Toshiro to know he could never give Rangiku what she wanted. Neko had been his way of trying to appease that side of her, but alas…

It seemed the cat would have to return to the world of the living. Toshiro sighed and leaned back in his chair, his eyes still on the sleepy duo, when another thought struck him. He put the book back in the drawer quietly and grabbed his zanpakuto, slipping from the office. The senkaimon was under his jurisdiction as it was now their squad who made the regular trips to the world of the living along with squad thirteen. This was mostly due to the young Kuchiki’s relationship with Kurosaki. The gate glinted and glimmered and Toshiro actually recognised Lieutenant Kuchiki’s form ahead of him as he approached the gate.

‘Keep them open,’ he called and at once the diminutive ice wielder burled on the spot to face him. Her young porcelain face smoothed, from shocked to curiosity to the mask that the soldiers all wore.

‘Captain Hitsugaya,’ she said with a bow, her dainty figure bending lower than required, ‘forgive me, I didn’t realise you were to accompany me.’

‘No,’ Toshiro hastened to correct, taking a tentative breath, ‘this is… for personal matters. I wish to speak to Urahara.’

It was clear that the young Kuchiki burned with questions, but for all he’d heard about her, she managed to hold her tongue. They travelled through the gates together and Toshiro was thankful, her mission would mean that the gates would only need to be opened once. There would be no need for anyone inside the Soul Society to know that Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of squad 10 had gone to see a man about a cat.

Kisuki Urahara was an eccentric person. His collection of various nik nacks tinkled and crackled and created an eerie atmosphere inside the darkened shop walls. Toshiro could hear things moving, scuttling, but even in his soul form his eye sight was not advanced enough to witness them. He was partly thankful for this, though he could certainly feel a set of eyes on him that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. The man in question, finally stepped through into the main body of the shop, likely drawn by the tinkle of the bell above the door when Toshiro had first walked in.

‘Captain Hitsugaya,’ he drawled, amusement in his voice, ‘what a surprise.’

The smile on his face and the tone of voice he’d used, made Toshiro think that there was actually no surprise here, that he’d been expected Toshiro to arrive.

‘You were expecting me?’ Toshiro asked and the older man answered with nothing but a smile and glint of his eyes beneath his banded hat.

Toshiro decided against asking how exactly the man knew he was coming and instead cut straight to the chase, ‘I need something that will stop a soul perishing inside the Seireitei.’

‘That’s an odd request,’ he said with a chuckle, ‘I wonder why-’

‘Oh stop playing with him,’ a deep masculine voice sounded and Toshiro turned around. There sitting on a pile of boxes in the corner, visible only by the pair of golden eyes scintillating in the darkness, was Yoruichi.

‘Well now, that’s no fun,’ the pout framed Urahara’s words but without needing to be told, he turned on his heel and retreated further back into the building. Toshiro stood stock still, his eyes on the cat, he straightened and nodded at the ex-stealth force Captain.

‘Yoruichi,’ he said and the black cat nodded her head.

‘I hear you have a new pet,’ the cat rumbled, the voice oddly disconcerting as Toshiro knew it did not match the real body of its master.

‘You could say that,’ Toshiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He’d often complain about Rangiku giving him grey hairs, but as it stood, he was doing just fine on his own.

‘And a cat too,’ Yoruichi said and Toshiro spluttered. He had no idea how to take that, but he was sure that the cat was smirking at him, even though there were no visible ticks of the cats jaw to indicate such.

‘This should work,’ Urahara came back through with a box in his hand. He caught sight of Toshiro’s flushed and embarrassed face and glanced back to Yoruichi.

‘Now, I hope you didn’t tease him while I was gone, that’s not very nice,’ he bantered.

‘It’s not nice that I teased him, or that you weren’t present for it?’ the cat responded, tilting her head to the side as she asked.

‘Both,’ Kisuki chuckled and handed the box over to Toshiro. He took it and balanced it on the flat of one hand while he used the other to open it. The box was brown and unassuming, but inside was lined with velvet and in the centre was a handsome jade collar.

‘We thought the colour would match your eyes and scarf,’ the cat stated simply, leaping onto a stack of wooden pallets closer to Toshiro so she could see into the box he held in his hand. Toshiro couldn’t fully comprehend… they understood what he needed and exactly what he needed it for. Then it struck him that Soi Fon would have told Yoruichi who in turn would have told Urahara. That game of Chinese whispers still did not present Toshiro with an answer as to why Urahara had helped him at all.

‘Why?’ Toshiro started to ask but the older man shook his head.

‘I have a love for cats,’ he said simply and that Toshiro understood. It did not mean that Urahara liked cats, but rather that he liked a single cat who loved all others. Toshiro glanced at Yoruichi and bowed to the two of them.

‘Thank you,’ he said, straightening back up and tucking the box under his arm.

‘Just make sure the collar stays on, it has a quick release, but if it falls off or gets damaged you’ll need to get a replacement from me. Thankfully it’s pretty straightforward to make, but that colour of collar was hard to come by.’

Toshiro could feel his face heat up, it seemed Neko and he would have more in common than their love for Rangiku.

‘I will, thank you,’ Toshiro said again before turning to head toward the door.

‘Oh and do bring him to visit won’t you?’ the old man called, ‘we’d love to meet _them_.’

Toshiro glanced back to see Yoruichi throw Urahara a glare as he left. He’d not really understood the implications behind that sentence either, but he was incredibly pleased that he had a resolution to their current situation.

If Toshiro had thought that interaction was unorthodox it was nothing like his interaction with the substitute and Lieutenant Kuchiki.

Toshiro made his way toward the street that he and the Lieutenant had emerged from. A safe space provided large building cover in order to open the gates back to the world of the living. As Toshiro crossed the road, however, a familiar voice called out to him.

‘Hey, Toshiro!’ and the small Captain felt himself bristle. Teal eyes flew around, locating the lanky strawberry and his beaming smile hanging upside down on a large structure of metal. The sun beat against the glossy pipework where Kurosaki’s legs were tangled, preventing him from falling into the sand below. Kuchiki was sitting in the sand, her back pressed against the base of the structure and combing a stick through the ground as she looked up. Toshiro noticed that she was no longer dressed in her shihakusho but had foregone it for a simple pale blue dress and light lilac boots.

‘It’s Captain Hitsugaya,’ Toshiro corrected instinctively, but he continued to make his way toward them all the same. A soft tug at the corner of the substitute’s mouth told him that he still had no intention of calling Toshiro by his title.

‘What brings you here?’ the other boy asked, bringing a hand up to grab at the metal bar, he let his legs come lose. Flipping himself around so he was upright now, he stared down at Toshiro from his perch on the pipe, arms folded and leaning through the structure.

Toshiro knew that it was a children’s play thing that he was on, so he’d die rather than admit that it looked fun to climb.

‘I had an errand to run,’ Toshiro replied simply.

‘An errand huh? At hat & clogs place?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ Toshiro frowned.

‘I thought you’d be getting a gift for your girlfr-’ he was stopped by a sharp elbow to his shin where it dangled close to young Kuchiki’s face.

Toshiro was no idiot, he was sure that the substitute had been about to say girlfriend. He tried his best to fight back the flush that he could feel threatening to climb up his neck and along his face.

‘Ahh, so what magical artefact did he bestow upon you? Or is it top secret?’ the Lieutenant asked him hastily, clearly trying to deflect the topic as her tall companion rubbed at his leg.

Toshiro sighed and knew it was likely only a matter of time before they found out anyway. He only hoped that they kept it to themselves, the last thing that Head Captain Kyoraku needed was a tirade from souls all wishing to adopt pets from the world of the living.

‘Well, it’s a collar, Lieutenant Matsumoto got a cat and well… it can’t live in the Seireitei so…’ he shrugged and Kurosaki’s lips pulled back in a triumphant smirk. He leaned further through the metal pipework so that he could beam down at Toshiro.

‘That’s very kind of you,’ he said with a smirk, ‘to do for your _Lieutenant_.’

Kuchiki hissed at her friend but the damage had been done. Toshiro felt himself deflate instantly. Kyoraku and Ise that very morning… then Yoruichi and Urahara and now…

‘How many people know?’ Toshiro asked.

That seemed to stump him, it was clear the tall strawberry had not been prepared for the question and glanced down at his diminutive companion to see if he were allowed to answer without a grunt of indignation from her.

Taking it upon herself, the young Kuchiki replied, ‘almost everyone.’

Toshiro huffed, the colour that had threatened to overcome his features finally climbing its way back up his neck.

‘Don’t be embarrassed,’ Kurosaki laughed, ‘I’m impressed.’

‘And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?’ Kuchiki shot a look up at him and the taller male just smiled down at her.

‘Not what you think, you know I love you,’ he laughed and the small woman scowled but Toshiro noticed that colour was spilling onto her cheeks too, milky in the sunlight her iridescent eyes rolled.

‘Wait,’ Toshiro shook his head, ‘you and Kurosaki are dating?’ he asked the Lieutenant.

‘Hey now,’ the man in question huffed, ‘call me Ichigo!’

‘Sort of,’ the young Lieutenant scoffed, ‘but only when he behaves.’

Toshiro felt stupid, he felt like he should have known this. The two of them had been in his charge during a long and painful mission in the world of the living several years before.

‘How long?’ he felt the need to clarify. Kuchiki’s face softened into a smile, understanding where his thoughts had strayed.

‘Long after our mission, Captain, I promise.’

‘Oh,’ Toshiro exhaled his breath in a gust. It wasn’t that he was worried about being seen as obtuse… he was just growing marginally concerned by his lack of ability in understanding and hiding social cues.

‘If it makes you feel better, we only recently started having sex,’ Kurosaki stated and this time the young Kuchiki froze his entire leg. With a howl of pain, he gasped and grunted, his human hands trying to uselessly claw at the ice which was slowly encasing his body.

‘Nicely done,’ Toshiro commented, protecting her privacy for the comment that the strawberry had just unleashed.

‘Thanks,’ she mumbled and Toshiro could see just how hot her face was as she scowled up at her boyfriend.

‘I better get back,’ Toshiro sighed, and realising it was pointless to keep secrets any longer, ‘Rangiku will be expecting me.’

The use of her first name all but confirmed their understandings and Toshiro caught the knowing grin that spread across the girls face before he turned and ducked away. Upon his retreat he could hear the substitute begging for mercy and knew, from the very little he did know about Kuchiki, Rukia, that he wouldn’t get any.

\---

By the time Toshiro made it back to the office, he was surprised to find it empty. Both mother and kitten were gone and he glanced around the space trying to find a clue for their whereabouts. Eventually he found a tiny little handwritten note on his desk in Rangiku’s large bubbly print. He tried to ignore the way his heart melted uselessly when he spotted that she’d dotted the ‘i’ in his name with a love heart.

_Toshiro,_

_Took him home for food, no idea where you went but dinner at ours when you’re free._

_Love,_

_Rangiku._

It was a simple note, but that didn’t stop Toshiro from folding it up and putting it tenderly inside the folds of his haori as he scrambled to pick up some of the last bits of paperwork from his desk. A change of scenery would probably do him some good and the thought of completing paperwork alone in the office was an unappealing as the thought of babysitting Neko.

He stepped back out of the office and locked it firmly behind him, making his way through the maze of high rise stone walls and cutting through several buildings. Toshiro took his time to enjoy the walk, the smell of the dusty earth now so familiar to him, it help him gather his thoughts.

When he finally pushed the door to his home open, it was to the smell of exotic baking. Rangiku had, thankfully, not picked up anymore recipes from Inoue, after the pig, pear and puff pastry pie fiasco he didn’t think his stomach could cope. Toshiro had opted to buy Rangiku some living world recipe books and she’d been learning to work from them. She seemed encouraged each time Toshiro put a spoon in his mouth and didn’t gag.

‘Welcome home,’ she beamed at him as Toshiro slipped off his shoes and put his slippers on. The Captain made his way toward the kitchen where she’d poked her head out to greet him and found Neko sitting on the bunker beside her cooking supplies. His large buttery eyes closed as he licked at one of his paws and cleaned his face. Toshiro put his paperwork down on the table they ate at and stood on his tip toes to kiss her cheek.

‘Smells good,’ he stated, blissful in their domestic ritual as Rangiku laughed and pointed a spoon at him.

‘I decided to make that ramen you said looked good,’ she said with a soft smile.

‘The tonkotsu?’ he asked, the excitement behind his words causing her to grin fondly at him and steal his breath.

‘The very one,’ she laughed, her hand flying out instinctively to catch the bottle of soy sauce that Neko had just tried to knock from the bunker. Toshiro was impressed by the catch, raising an eyebrow in her direction only to have her wink at him. ‘I thought you’d like it.’

‘Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to butter me up for something?’ he asked, sliding into his favourite chair in the kitchen. Rangiku laughed a little uncomfortably at that.

‘Do I only ever make the things you like when I want to ask you for something?’ she asked and Toshiro hummed in confirmation. Rangiku pouted playfully at him.

‘Hey now, I do not,’ she huffed.

Toshiro raised his brow in question this time and she seemed to be struggling to think of an example to back her claim. Eventually her face just fell back into its adorable little pout and he shook his head.

‘Did you know that apparently everyone knows that we’re dating?’ Toshiro asked.

‘When did you figure that out?’ Rangiku asked with a chuckle, clearly happy with the topic change.

‘Today, when I spoke to Kuchiki and Kurosaki,’ Toshiro brought a hand up to rub at his temples, ‘did you know that they’re-’

‘Having sex?’ Rangiku supplied helpfully and Toshiro spluttered in indignation. Rangiku looked at him innocently for a moment as he recovered himself.

‘I was going to say dating,’ he huffed, ‘they told me they were dating.’

‘Oh I didn’t know that,’ Rangiku said thoughtfully, ‘I thought for sure they were sleeping together when we were in the world of the living.’

Toshiro frowned and shook his head, ‘no they said… that-ah that was recent,’ he could feel the heat climbing up his neck at the topic and cleared his throat. ‘But Urahara, Yoruichi, even Head Captain Kyoraku…’ he rattled the names off and Rangiku giggled at him, catching a piece of sliced bamboo shoot from the bunker as Neko tried to flick it onto the floor.

‘Everyone knows, Toshiro,’ she said patiently, ‘we’ve not exactly been discrete.’

‘How have we not?’

Rangiku gave him a suffering look, ‘I live with you. Everyone knows that.’

He deflated. That was true. He felt so incredibly stupid for thinking that their relationship was a secret from everyone but the stealth force.

‘What were you doing in the world of the living anyway?’ Rangiku asked as she began to plate up the bowels. She pulled a healthy amount of pea shoots from a packet and tried to set them in the bowels but their stringy nature had Neko pouncing for them and Rangiku grabbed him quick before he ended up in their broth.

Putting the kitten down on the ground, she glanced up as Toshiro held a box out toward her.

‘I was getting you a gift,’ he said, almost shyly. Her face broke into a stunning beam that crinkled at the corner of her eyes. Rangiku’s smile had a habit of making any room she stood in seem shabby and dull in comparison. She lifted the box from his hands, letting their fingers brush by way of thanks then hastily pulled the box open and squealed.

‘Well I know it’s not technically for you,’ Toshiro added quickly, ‘that would be strange. It’s for Neko.’

‘Wouldn’t be strange,’ Rangiku giggled, ‘but I agree we’re not there _yet.’_ Once more the innuendo shot over the top of Toshiro’s head and the Captain had to make do with watching Rangiku pull the handsome collar from the case and usher the kitten toward her to put it on. The deep vivid teal really did contrast beautifully with his soft ginger fur and bright buttery orange eyes.

‘Awww,’ she cooed down at him, giving him a tickle under his chin that had him closing his eyes in content, ‘my two boys match.’

Toshiro huffed and stood to finish plating up the meal she’d started on before she got distracted. He knew better than to assume that she’d finish the task now that Neko had her attention again. Toshiro pulled the pea shoots apart and applied them into the bowels, cuttings the eggs in half and adding them as well as a final touch of salt. 

He stepped around his girlfriend and placed her bowel down on her side of the table. The broth smelt mouth-wateringly good and he tucked in as soon as his chopsticks were in his hand.

Rangiku let him eat in silence for a moment, watching as Neko ran after a small plastic ball with a bell inside. When she finally joined Toshiro at the table, he had already eaten half of his meal.

‘You know, I think you’d have died of starvation before we started dating,’ Rangiku laughed and Toshiro just snorted, his mouth too full to come up with a proper response.

Finally picking up her chopsticks she began to eat too. Toshiro noticed that she was pushing things around in her bowel and sensed that she was about to bring up a topic she’d been wanting to discuss the moment he walked in.

‘It’s Izuru’s birthday today,’ Rangiku started and Toshiro swallowed his mouthful of noodles. ‘Everyone is going out drinking with him tonight.’

Suddenly the reason behind the fantastic meal was understood and Toshiro rolled his eyes. Rangiku knew him well enough to know that she could get anything she wanted as long as he had a full stomach and she used the weight of her eyes on him. The baby blue twinkle of her gaze peaked at him from under their thick frame of black lashes, tentative and questioning.

Toshiro took a deep breath and sighed, he figured he’d at least get to enjoy his meal before being asked to kitten sit for the night. He said nothing as he continued to eat, aware that the silence was torturing her and felt smug for it.

‘I can make it up to you?’ she said quickly, ‘I can tire him out before I go and tomorrow I’ll make pancakes?’ Rangiku hastened to add.

‘Rangiku, I am not your keeper. You can do what you like,’ Toshiro said with a soft sigh, because his girlfriend always did what she liked.

‘I know, but I want you two to get along, you both mean so much to me,’ she mumbled and the pathetic pitch to her voice had Toshiro slowly wrapping himself around her finger. He hated how easily he folded when it came to his girlfriend.

‘Fine,’ he sighed, ‘but we both know you’re going to be too legless in the morning to make pancakes,’ he replied briskly and she grinned at him. It was true, it would likely be Toshiro would have to make the pancakes in the morning.

‘I’ll leave the batter in the fridge,’ she confirmed with a laugh.

\---

Rangiku had done as she’d promised and tired Neko out before she left. The kitten had been chasing various objects for what felt like hours, before finally curling into a ball on the sofa and falling into a deep sleep. Toshiro eyed him, clearly not at all convinced by his authentic display of slumber before he fretted over his girlfriend.

‘And you’ll call me if anything happens,’ he asked her again and Rangiku rolled her eyes.

‘ _You_ call _me_ if anything happens,’ she chuckled and swooped down on Neko to kiss him on his head. The little kitten stretched out his forepaws, vivid pink toebeans pushed into sight before he retracted the limbs back under himself and slept on.

‘We’ll be fine,’ Toshiro huffed at her. Rangiku understood the look, he’d worn it on his face every single time she’d gone out drinking before. Toshiro was not the kind of boyfriend to stop her doing the things she enjoyed, he’d never try and take away her freedom like that. But that didn’t stop the incredible jealousy he felt when he saw her all dressed up. It was likely very misogynistic, but he disliked when she dressed up for anyone but him.

Again, he’d never say this to her, but it was there and deep rooted. Toshiro had tried going out with them once and it had ended in disaster. He’d puked all night and vowed to never touch alcohol again, but he knew he’d need it to get through a night with her friends.

They couldn’t exactly leave Neko home alone anyway, he was much too young. Rangiku looked fondly down at the kitten before she made her way toward the door and Toshiro prayed that maybe Neko would encourage her to have an early night tonight and maybe not drink too much.

‘Will you text me when you get there safely?’ he asked.

‘Rukia is walking with me,’ Rangiku smiled down at him, ‘I love your protectiveness, Toshiro but don’t worry yourself about me. I’ll be fine. Worry about your night of fatherly bonding.’ She smirked at him and Toshiro scowled at her. He still walked her to the door like a gentleman and held it open for her to leave. She dropped a tender kiss on his lips just at the threshold and he held her close, feeling the heat of her skin burn his fingertips through the thin fabric of the backless red dress she’d chosen. If anyone hadn’t known that they were dating, they’d know now.

‘Do you want me to come back later?’ a familiar voice teased and the two broke apart to see an amused Lieutenant Abarai gazing at them with a smug smile. Young Kuchiki peaked at them from under her midnight hair, a soft smile playing at the edges of her lips too.

They were all dressed up and it served to relax Toshiro a little bit to know that it was a formal occasion and not just for the sake of alcohol.

‘Don’t worry, we’ll have her back at a reasonable hour,’ Abarai said.

‘Since when do you ever?’ Toshiro deadpanned but Rangiku just giggled and patted his arm before walking away.

‘Have fun,’ she called with a wink that only he could see and Toshiro watched them walk down the empty street until they turned the corner at the end.

With a sigh he closed and door and sulked back inside the room. His eyes fell on Neko who was still sleeping peacefully where he’d been left and Toshiro was happy to know that it would be one less thing for him to worry about that night. Making his mind up, Toshiro made himself a pot of tea and sat down at his desk, pulling the paperwork toward him that he’d brought home.

He worked in silence for an hour, occasionally pausing to make sure that Neko was still exactly where he’d been left. Eventually becoming too comfortable with the fact the kitten was truly asleep, Toshiro felt his heart skip a beat when he turned back around in his chair to fill his teapot and find the vacant spot on the couch. Toshiro froze, his eyes darting around the room.

It was the same heightened stress one may feel when they’d spotted a huge spider in their room that went missing. Heart rate quickening by the second, Toshiro pushed himself up from his chair and decided to check all the usual spots. He started with the bathroom, where the kittens litter tray was tucked into the corner, but Neko was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t in the kitchen either, where his food and water were kept and he wasn’t napping under the covers in their bedroom. Toshiro started to panic, if he’d lost the kitten Rangiku would never forgive him.

‘Think,’ Toshiro racked his brain, they’d left no window open and no door, so the cat must still be in the house.

‘ _Try calling him, Master,_ ’ Hyorinmaru growled in amusement in Toshiro’s head.

‘You’re enjoying this,’ Toshiro scolded the dragon, but the rumble of laughter only faded at his words. Taking a deep breath, Toshiro swallowed his pride and bent down low, walking from room to room and calling on him.

‘Here kitty, here Neko,’ he tried his best to imitate Rangiku’s voice and felt even more stupid for it. He could still hear Hyroinmaru’s distant rumbles of amusement and had to grit his teeth against a tirade of insults toward the ice dragon.

After fretting over the upstairs rooms, Toshiro made his way back down to where the kitten had been sleeping originally and looked under the sofa and behind various objects in the room. Neko’s name was still being called at sporadic intervals and Toshiro only paused in his calls when he spotted the paper’s he’d been working through on his desk.

The desk was a mess, the ink pot had been tipped over and there were now tiny black paw prints across his paperwork, down onto his chair and down onto the floor. Toshiro clicked his tongue impatiently and followed them. They began to fade in the direction of the kitchen and he lost them entirely when he got to the kittens water bowel.

‘He stopped for a drink,’ Toshiro commented, turning around on the spot, ‘where did he go next?’

He felt a little relieved to know that the kitten was still in the house and hadn’t managed to find its way outside. Toshiro moved from room to room once again, growing more and more frustrated as he did so, he was sure that Neko was now playing with him. A Captain being outsmarted by a kitten was certainly something he didn’t need on his CV and he straightened up and glared around the space of the hall when he heard a crash in the kitchen. Toshiro bolted in the direction of the crash, only to find the bottle of soy sauce smashed on the floor successfully, a new set of paw prints leading away from the crime scene. The sauce had started to stain the kitchen tiles but Toshiro bypassed cleaning it up as he shot back into the living room.

Neko was gone again and Toshiro took a deep breath, ready to freeze the entire floor of the house to stop the little shit from moving.

‘ _C’mon, Master, you’re smarter than a cat_ ,’ Hyorinmaru rumbled, his laughter still evident in his voice and Toshiro scowled.

It was time for the big guns.

Toshiro stomped around the house and collected a box, a pole that he had to unscrew from the woodwork on the top landing and some string that he had to take from a pair of Rangiku’s trainers. He walked back down into the kitchen and pulled out some of Neko’s homemade fish treats that Rangiku had baked for him. He gave the box an experimental shake hoping to catch the kitten’s attention and then put the treats under the box. He propped it open with the pole, tied the string to it and went to hide in the corner. It felt beneath him to pull off such a lacklustre trick, but he assured himself that if the kitten tried to escape, he’d just freeze his paws to the ground.

Toshiro sat, crouched down for what felt like an hour, when he heard the sound of something else falling over in the living room. As quick as he could, he’d dropped the string and darted into the living room, the little table plant had fallen to the ground and the soil had spilled out of it. Thankfully it was in a hard plastic plant pot and not a ceramic one, so Toshiro could scoop it all up and put it back onto the table without fear of it being cracked or broken.

Neko was still nowhere to be seen, and mumbling something about “Macavity” Toshiro stomped back into the kitchen to find the treats gone.

Hyorinmaru was laughing again and Toshiro was hating every decision that led him to this moment.

‘Be quiet,’ he instructed the dragon with a snap and Hyorinmaru became distant once again. Toshiro was on the verge of giving up when his phone started ringing in his pocket and he pulled it out to see Rangiku’s name lighting up the screen.

‘Rangiku?’ he asked only to hear the unexpected voice of Lieutenant Kuchiki down the line instead.

‘Sorry to disturb you Captain, Rangiku has had a bit much to drink… and I’m struggling to get her home. The boys aren’t helping-’

‘Is Rangiku okay? Is she safe?’ Toshiro asked at once, already making his way toward the door.

‘Oh she’s fine, just, you know, quite drunk,’ Kuchiki sounded a bit apprehensive and in the background Toshiro could hear some soon-to-be-punch-bag laughing and shouting to the two women “show us your tits!”

‘I’m on my way,’ Toshiro growled. The Lieutenant turned the tracker on the device and Toshiro glanced down at the little flickering dot. It was the same technology as they used to detect hollows. He was about to step outside when a loud meow caught his attention. Turning, he spotted Neko standing resolutely at the bottom of the stairs, his tail high and his inky black paws now padding as he moved toward Toshiro.

‘Are you going to help me save Rangiku?’ he asked and the kitten meowed loudly again. With a soft smirk, Toshiro scooped the kitten up and tucked him inside his haori pocket, where he seemed content to cuddle as the cold wind blew in through the open door. Stepping outside, Toshiro made his way as quickly as he could toward the flashing dot on his phone, being careful not to jostle little Neko where he was curled peacefully as a large lump against his chest.

Toshiro received a few odd looks from the guards he passed for the way his uniform now clung oddly to his frame, but he didn’t care. He wanted to reach Rukia and Rangiku and know that the two of them were safe. He knew they could hold their own of course, but if they’d been drinking then it might be more difficult for them.

‘That takes care of that, can you stand?’ he heard a familiar voice and, rounding a corner, he saw a wall of ice and Rukia crouching down to a shadowy figure that was resting against a wall.

‘There’s Mama,’ Toshiro whispered and he felt Neko stir instantly inside his pocket. Toshiro flash stepped over and looked down at his girlfriend who was half passed out.

‘Captain,’ Kuchiki’s voice sounded relieved and Toshiro crouched down to help lift Rangiku up.

‘Where did the boys go? What kind of men leave the girls to walk home alone?’ Toshiro growled at the other Lieutenant, blatantly ignoring the three squad members who were caged within Rukia’s ice. The Captain had reason to believe that every single one of them deserved their frosty fate. What idiot honestly tried to make moves on two Lieutenants? It still showed the deep rooted issues between men and women in the Seireitei that they thought they could honestly get away with their advances.

‘Well to be fair,’ Kuchiki started, sounding a little embarrassed, ‘they all passed out too, but I figured they’d be fine… you know… but Rangiku…’ she trailed off and Toshiro sighed.

‘Thank you, for taking care of her, Lieutenant,’ Toshiro said. He did his best to support as much of Rangiku’s weight as he could, and together they moved in the direction of the tenth. A cloud loomed overhead and covered the moon, blocking the little light that they had from view. Toshiro blinked to try and adjust his eyes, for the road they’d selected that would get them home quicker wasn’t lit by lanterns.

‘Is that slut drunk again?’ someone shouted.

‘They said she was around here somewhere, I can’t wait to see her,’ a second voice drawled and Toshiro turned with a hiss in the direction of the derogatory comments. It took him two seconds to realise that the hiss hadn’t come from his own throat and instead a tiny ball of ginger fluff had clawed its way down Toshiro’s uniform and stood hissing and spitting on the ground. One of the guards raised a hand lantern up, shedding light over little Neko and stared at the kitten for a moment in shock. Neko stood there, back arched and tail fluffed up, in what was meant to be, a threatening display. Then the two of them roared with laughter, one of them pulling his zanpakuto out on the cat.

Before he could take another step Toshiro had frozen him solid. His comrades shock clearing the moment the moon emerged from behind the cloud and spilled light back down upon them.

‘C-Captain,’ the soldier bowed low, but it wasn’t enough in Toshiro’s mind. Neko clearly thought the same, with a howl of pain the soldier kicked out against Neko who had already fled. His tiny claws having shed blood at the man’s ankle and before anything else could be done or said, he too, was frozen.

‘Will we get in trouble for this?’ Kuchiki asked nervously and Toshiro clicked his tongue.

‘I don’t care if we do, it’s time idiots like them were taught to treat women with respect,’ he scowled. Neko padded proudly back to Toshiro’s ankles, his eyes full of worry for his mother who still seemed to be unconscious.

‘It does seem to be a recurring incident,’ Kuchiki sighed and Toshiro frowned. He was lucky to have been born the gender he was.

‘Next time, I will come and pick her up personally and escort the two of you back home safely.’ Toshiro grumbled and he heard the Lieutenant laugh softly in understanding beside him. They made their way back in silence and only when Rangiku was safely in bed, with Neko curled up beside her to protect her, did Toshiro call Kurosaki to come and pick his girlfriend up.

‘I don’t need a man to walk me home,’ the Lieutenant’s response was with a suffering eye roll.

‘Trust me, when I say that your boyfriend would rather have the honour and be present in your company any chance he got, than sit worrying in his room,’ Toshiro replied. He watched the younger Kuchiki’s face dust pink at his words, and Kurosaki confirmed them when a dishevelled Ichigo showed up to collect her.

‘I was worried,’ he started and Rukia grabbed him out the house before he could say anything further to embarrass them in front of the Captain. With a chuckle, and knowing that the Lieutenant would get home safe, Toshiro made his way up to the bed. He’d had a strict rule about allowing Neko to sleep in their bed but the way he was curled up protectively on top of Rangiku… well, Toshiro didn’t have the heart to move him.

He changed and slipped into bed beside his girlfriend who turned over in her sleep and nuzzled into him.

‘I thought you didn’t like Neko,’ she mumbled, the alcohol in her mouth washing over his face and Toshiro sighed.

‘He’s not so bad,’ Toshiro said, spotting one large vivid eye opening to look at him in the darkness. ‘Yeah,’ Toshiro seemed to say more to himself as Rangiku’s breaths evened out once more.

‘He’s not so bad.’ 

Eye softening in acknowledgement the gleaming buttery eye closed over in sleep and Toshiro reached out and scratched gently behind the kittens ear before turning over to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoy this pairing, both Geishaaa and I have PLENTY of other HitsuMatsu fics for you to read! (Gei more than I) may I recommend her fic 'Blindsided' or 'The Heist' two of my personal favs!
> 
> Since it's Gei's birthday and if you enjoyed the fic I'd love it if you could leave a little comment or Happy Birthday message :D And kudos!
> 
> You don't even need an account to leave a comment!
> 
> HAPPY birthday Gei! You wonderful human :D :D and wicked cat lady!


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